Metaphysics
by Sakura123
Summary: Sora wonders about the 'Metaphysics' of his journey and the people he has come to know. Takes place during various points of the KH series, mainly Kingdom Hearts II. [COMPLETE]
1. I: Metaphysics of What If

**Metaphysics _(Kingdom Hearts)_**

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**Author**: Sakura123  
**Rating**: K+  
**Genre**: General  
**Disclaimer**: _Kingdom Hearts_ is copyrighted to Disney interactive and Square Enix.  
**Summary**: Sora wonders about the 'Metaphysics' of his journey and the people he has come to know.  
**Chapters**: 1 of 3  
**Chapt. 1: Created**: 8/14/06  
**Finished**: 8/21/06

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**Author's note**: This my third _Kingdom Hearts_ story ever written, ironically its the first one I'll be posting. While Sora isn't my favorite character, I thought I'd so a story concerning his thoughts after certain events in the games (minus _Chain Of Memories_ since I don't own a GBA and only read the magna version - vol. 1 and 2). Constructive Criticism only.

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**1: Metaphysics of 'What If (Hero Worship)'**

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_'We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other,'_ Leon's words wrought a strange, but not unfamiliar, emotion within him. It was one he didn't like feeling and one that hit him square in the chest. He remembered asking his mother, as a child, why his father was absent and her telling him because he had to go away. When Sora asked if he was coming back his mother replied "No, sweetheart, he can't come back. Where's he gone he can't, even if he wanted to." At fourteen he knew his mother never meant to hurt him with her words, she was just being truthful, but as a kid those words saddened him. Even made him cry afterwards which in turn had his mother taking him out on the town just to cheer him up. In short, it worked but he still felt sad afterward.

That was the word he was looking for: _Sad._ He was sad because of what Leon said, nevermind Yuffie's attempt to defrost the melancholy atmosphere Leon's words brought over the already bleak air.

_'Remember, no frowning. No sad face,'_

Nevertheless Sora decided to keep his spirits up and answer back to Yuffie. "What's that supposed to mean!" He proclaimed in mock-anger. Yuffie waved her hand at him again turning her back to him. Sora decided to drop it, trying to calm his body still radiating with excitement from battling the behemoth Heartless inside the distorted world attached to Hollow Bastion. Goofy and Donald were behind him examining the large heart shaped hole they had come from. Goofy's hand was upon his chin as he spoke to Donald who appeared to agree with whatever Goofy was saying to him, tapping his foot as he did so.

Sora grinned at the two memories of his more _friendlier_ conversations with Riku before he got the age his mother says relationships "become strained." He frowned at the memories of Riku's cold distant behavior toward him and constant taunting the older he got. Sora did his best to understand the changes, but he had yet to go through them himself so he was a complete lost most of the time when he wasn't upset with Riku. It was never like that Kairi; Kairi teased him yeah, called him a lazy bum, yes, but never said or did these things as harshly as Riku did. Her teasing was _nice, friendly._ Scratching his head Sora took his time examine all of his comrades. His friends. "Where ever we go, our hearts we always be connected," Aerith smiled back in secret appreciation for his hard work. Sora felt his cheeks burning as he grinned, teeth bearing. He looked away in time to hear Goofy and Donald calling him.

"Sora! Hurry up!" Donald muddled speech pattern was the first thing to reach his ears. He turned around completely this time, Donald had his hand to his feathered hand close to his mouth, Goofy was waving to him. "Hurry, come and close the keyhole!" Goofy called to him. Sora nodded his head, he glanced briefly at Leon who nodded his head toward the young man's companions. Sora rushed across the short distance while Goofy and Donald jumped off the strange contraption to join him at his side. His right reached past his waist toward his left side where the keyblade materialized in his grasp, with a fancy twirl of the prophetic weapon Sora aimed the keyblade at the spectrum of colors within the heart shaped hole. A beam light emitted from the end of the Keyblade hitting the center of the portal, the shape of a keyhole appeared and a _clank_ sound followed. Sora twirled the weapon around once more, the middle of the weapon landed gracefully on his shoulder. "Nice work, Sora," Yuffie congratulated. Sroa grinned in response rubbing the tip of his nose. He turned around to face Aerith and Leon only to find Aerith and an empty space. His eyebrows raised in surprise. "_Hey,_ where'd Leon go?" He blurted, looking every-wihich-way. "Leon went to the library," Aerith informed. Yuffie nodded in affirmative. "Yeah, that's where he goes to think. When he wasn't home that is," Yuffie muttered.

Sora scratched his head in bewilderment. That man was quiet was he was fast! He had only turned his back for a second and Leon was gone. _It felt like a second anyhow,_ Sora thought wearily. Yuffie noticed the confusion on the young man's face and offered a solution. "Believe me, like all of us it took Leon _forever_ to get that quiet. _25 years_ to be exact," Yuffie said, a bit uncertainty. Sora shot the girl another surprised look, only this time it there was an edge of sadness to it. "You've been away from your home, for twenty-five years?" He asked, trying to count with his fingers. Aerith shook her head. "No, eleven years. We thought what had happened to our world was something of freak occurence. It turns out it was only first in the many worlds to be devoured by the Heartless. According to King Mickey that is," Aerith explained. Sora's eyebrows raised in confirmation that he understood, he closed pressed his fingers on his palm and nodded vigorously. "Well, in that case, I gotta ask him something!" Sora proclaimed. Aerith and Yuffie shot each other wary glance but nodded to the boy nevertheless. Sora rushed past Aerith down the carpeted stairs, Donald and Goofy following after him.

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When Sora entered the library he expected to find Leon standing in plain sight. The fourteen year-old was granted no such luck however. Sora noticed the shelves had been shifted about from the positions he had put them in when he was scrounging around for boxes, Trinity points and Dalmatians. Leon's doing obviously. His companions followed him as he tried to shift the shelves back the way he remembered them, under the impression that Leon was pondering behind them, but to no avail. Sroa found himself more confused and more lost in the maze of shifting book shelves than the last time. He scratched his head in frustration, his fingernails constantly blocked from his scalp by the locks of hair upon his head. Goofy came up beside the teenager with an equally perplexed expression. "Hmmm . . . I don't get it? How come its not workin' like it did before?" Goofy mumbled, consumed in thought. Sora shrugged while Donald proceeded to glare daggers at the closest bookshelf he could find. Waddling up to the shelf he gave it a sure and swift kick. The shelf barely shuddered from the ferocity of the duck's second kick and didn't move at all come his third one. "Stupid shelves, work correctly will ya'!" He bellowed, shaking his fifsts.

Sora pulled himself from his train of thought to give his shorter friend a reprimanding look. "I don't think that's gonna work, Donald," Sora said, not at all harsh. Donald turned swiftly on one webbed foot and glared at his spiky-haired friend. "I don't see _you_ doing anything to help! You either Goofy," The wizard spat angrily. Sora glared in return, Donald had a lot of gall to say he wasn't doing anything to help. He was the one that did most of the pushing! Him and Goofy anyhow, Donald could very little given his upper body strength wasn't very great. Compared to his wizardry anyhow.

Goofy lowered his hand from his chin while his eyes focused on his shorter friend. "Gwarsh Donald, I was thinkin' of a way to help. No need 'ta be testy," Goofy offered in his usual oblivious manner. Whether Goofy acted out on behavior purposely or not Sora had yet to determine; Goofy was a stranger character than Donald, at least he could pin down most of the characteristics of the duck. Goofy was a harder nut to crack. Sora was startled out of his thoughts as Donald let out a cry of utter rage. "What are we even doing here! We're supposed to be on the next world already! Sora!" Donald locked his large onyx eyes on the teenager in front of him, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Forget about asking Leon questions, and focus on what's important!"

Sora hunched over his fist was raised and his eyes narrowed. "This _is_ important! Quit being such a jerk, Donald!" Sora bellowed angrily. Goofy stepped between the two just as Donald raised his wand and Sora swung on of his fists, he placed his gloved hands upon his friends foreheads and watched briefly as they tired to exchange blows. "Now, hold on just a minute fellers! There's gotta be a better way of settlin' this----! Gwarsh," Goofy's sudden loss of command in his voice caused the two squabblers to stop their battle and cast their gaze upon their lanky friend. Goofy's attention was on the path a head of them, they looked down the green tiled path and spotted the even taller, more built figure Sora had been seeking out. "Hiyuck, hiya Leon!" Goofy said, his voice more cheery. Leon gave a short nod of his head to Goofy then focused his blue eyes on Sora and Donald, his expression impassive. Donald and Sora straightened up from their current positions and straightened themselves out, no matter how futile it may have seemed. "Hey, Leon, what's up?" Sora inquired casually resting his hands behind his head.

"I heard you wanted to talk to me," Leon stated in a more of a fact than a question. Sora dropped his bored visage and nodded eagerly. "Um, yeah! I wanted to ask you something," Sora answered, a little confused by how he knew. Was Donald yelling that loud? Leon lowered his gaze down to the floor for a moment then looked back up at Sora with the same expressionless look. "Follow me then," He said finally, turning to walk off. Sora grinned in triumph his mouth ready to blurt the burning question from his throat. He followed after Leon though was careful to keep his footfalls from sounding too eager, he didn't want Leon thinking he was some blind devotee or something. _A worshiper of Heroes_ as Riku would put it whenever Sora would indulge his friends in the wild stories he'd make up for fantasy-essays assigned to him in school.

Leon hardly carried himself like the heroes in his mother's storybooks, the heroes he once worshiped and envied as a child. No, there was a something very different about Leon's character that Sora liked better than any hero he'd ever read about. The constant brood-ish atmosphere that hung around the shaggy haired man told a story, the deadly serious expression spoke in louder volumes than one could never comprehend verbally if you never knew him before tragedy struck him. Sora didn't know what happened _exactly_ to Leon and others, they're explanation of their origin was purposely cut short, but Sora liked to believe he could sympathize with Leon on some level. After all he lost his home and family too! But unlike Leon, Sora would continue to smile, fight back the sadness that threatened to overwhelm his heart. Where Leon had lost hope for himself Sora would restore it by using the keyblade and restoring the order of the universe thrown out of balance by the Heartless.

Sora never considered himself a wise person, which is why in some part he envied Riku and Leon. They had more knowledge than he and thus knew how to go on about situations Sora had never been in. Then Riku showed another side of himself, a somewhat jealous and angry side that left Sora confused and hurt. He began to think that RIku wasn't as wise as he thought at first, but wiser and stronger than he would ever be. Leon, apparently lost faith in his hope that his world would be completely restored to him, but he continued to fight because there were others that held onto their hope of a new day, a day beyond the darkness and fear. To Sora that was what a hero was. Someone who didn't things just for the sake of heroism, but for the sake of others lives beyond their own and some _damsel in distress_. He didn't worship Leon but he certainly looked up to him as someone he wanted be as strong as. Maybe he would even restore the hope in Leon himself if his actions succeeded.

Sora focued his attentions away his thoughts in time to find himself above the first floor and on the second. Leon stood across from him, his legs kicked out in front of him while he leaned against the railing. His head was bowed and his arms were folded across his chest hiding the Griever pendant lying against his chest. "So what is it that so important you came looking for me?" Leon asked his eyes shifting toward the teenager. "Well . . um . . . its kinda silly," Sora started hesitantly, scratching the back of his neck. Leon turned his head completely toward Sora his brow creasing with understandable irritation. Sora rethought his original answer the very moment he saw the expression. He knew first hand Leon was hardly the most kindest person he met, he learned that quicky from their first encounter. "Well, its about what you said. About not being able to see each other once all the worlds are restored to their original state. Do you think it'll really be like that? That I couldn't visit my other friends?" Sora asked.

Leon gave a nod. "Pretty much," He answered. Sora frowned, he had expected such an answer but hoped Leon would've at least had some small doubt about the certainty of the order of things. "Well, what if it wasn't?" Sora continued hopefully. This time Leon's eyebrows shifted from their furrowed position raising in curiosity. He turned his body half-way toward the younger man as his lips parted. "What do you mean?" Leon asked.

Sora scratched his head still miffed about the fact that the clusters of spiky hair refused to allow him access to his itching head. "Well, what if the worlds were put back to their original state? I mean who's to say that we can't see each other again? There's a possibility isn't there?" Sora asked, trying not to sound desperate. Leon shook his head, eyes closed. Either Sora was in a state of denial or he really did think there was some sort of loophole around the irreversible workings of fate and universe. _Stranger things have happened though_, Leon thought not really believing the words in his head. "Sora, it's just not possible. King Mickey told me himself, if things were ever fixed so this doesn't happen again, there was no possible way a _soul_ could get to the next world," Leon explained bluntly. Sora nodded his head understandingly.

"All right, but what if ---",

Leon was beginning to grow irritated. "Sora, there are no _what if's_. There's certainty and then there's uncertainty. Nothing more nothing less," Leon answered tersely. Sora stepped across the tile flooring past the oak reading table and chairs, he kept his distance from Leon knowing the man liked his personal space not to be intruded upon. "Well, could you just here my theory out here for a 'sec?" Sora insisted, pleadingly. Leon made no moves to let the young man know he was beyond the point of irritation by his constant 'what if' questions. If anything Leon left just a tad bit obligated to at least amuse the boy further but would deter any kind of false hope that was on bubbling inside Sora.

He would just listen and observe during conversation. "Fine. Go ahead," Leon said stiffly. Sora nodded and continued on. "What if I actually succeeded in this thing, saving in the worlds? What if there _was_ a possibility that people could travel to worlds without the danger of Heartless always lurking? That would mean I'd to get to see all of you more often than none," Sora said. Leon opened his mouth to answer then closed it, his brow creased as he continued to scrutinize at his younger friend. "I mean, I wouldn't even have to stay on Destiny Islands anymore, I could go on that trip with Kairi and RIku just like we planned!" Sora pounded his fist into the palm of his hand, his eyes brimming with excitement. The excitement only a child could have at such thoughts.

Leon pushed away from the railing into a standing position, one arm fell to his side while the other was raised his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "Maybe, maybe not," Leon answered wearily. "But the truth of the matter here, Sora, is that there's no loophole, no 'possibilties'. Once all of this is said and done the worlds will go back to being unaware of the other, order will be restored. Besides." Leon gave a dramatic pause. "You'd get tired of seeing us in a matter of weeks. We're not exactly the most _exciting_ people to hang around with when there's no danger. Unlike your friends, Kairi and Riku." He watched Sora frown at his response, he expected that much. As he listened to Sora's rantings he believed that the boy was doing nothing more than trying to find a way to keep the sadness of departure at bay. A tatic that would surely fail. He refocused his gaze on Sora who nodded at his response. "I understand, I guess. Thanks for listening Leon," Sora mumured sheepishly. Leon signed in agreement under the impression that the conversation was done and over with, he turned and leaned over his hands clutching the railing.

Peering downward he spotted Donald and Goofy browsing through the rows of books upon the shelves as if they were accustomed to looking for books. Leon imagined King Mickey had a library larger than their own. Sora came up beside him and hoisted himself up onto the railing so that his legs were dangling over the other side. "So this place helps you think?" Sora inquired. "Did Aerith tell you that?" The man asked. Sora was hesitant to answer his question at first, the tone in his voice sounded slightly annoyed like it was a secret that wasn't to be shared with others. "Yuffie did. Does that bother you?" Sora asked. Leon shook head slowly, he reached up to brush a stray strand of hair out of his eye. Sora looked about his surroundings thoughtfully. He could see why Leon came here. Aside from the blissful silence the overall appearance of the room gave a person the immediate impression that this was the place to be, if you wanted truly be alone with your thoughts. ". . . Absence makes the heart grow fonder," Leon's voice brought Sora out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" Sora blurted. Leon shook his head. "Its nothing. You'd better head out, you've got a ways to go yet," Leon said instead. Sora stared a little longer hoping Leon would repeat his sentence, he had only caught the words 'grow' and 'fonder'. Leon walked away heading toward the large double doors. Leon grasped the door knob and opened the door slowly, he turned slightly his profile could barely seen beyond his brunette hair. "Take care of yourself out there, kid," Leon warned. Sora watched his retreating back vanish behind the doors as they closed behind him. Sora scratched his face, his brow still creased. "I guess it wasn't something for me to hear. At least not right now," Sora uttered.

He'd ask Leon later . . . if there was a _later_ after all of this Sora pushed himself off the railing, he fell fast to the ground but caught himself easily with the flying ability he was granted given by Tinkerbell. Goofy and Donald turned in response to his feet landing on the ground, their faces were covered in flecks of dust. "What've you guys been doing?" Sora inquired. Goofy sneezed behind his hand as he desperately tried to brush the dust off his face. "Lookin' through the books," Goofy answered with another sneeze. Donald poked his beak out from behind his arms which shielded him from his friend's sneeze. Despite the fact that he was much shorter than Goofy, Donald found himself shielding his face whenever Goofy looked about ready to blow. "We didn't see anything about Ansem, though," Donald grumbled. He too was brushing himself free of the dust that clung to places other than his face. Sora nodded understandingly. "Yeah, Aerith said there probably wouldn't be any books in the library about Ansem," Sora grumbled, about as disappointed as Donald was. He wondered how many torn pages of Ansem's report he had collected now, he had lost count after finding the fifth one. He hoped Jimmy was still keeping track of their records. "Well, let's get going guys! We've still got work to do!" Sora declared dramatically grasping his keyblade.

Goofy and Donald nodded in agreement. "_Right!_ Let's go!"

The trio took off out of the library toward the Gummi ship.

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_(End)_


	2. II: The Metaphysics Of Riku

**II: The Metaphysics of Riku**

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**Summary: Sora's thoughts when reunited with Riku.  
Rated: K  
Created: 9/10/06  
Finished: 9/29/06 (After long hiatus)**

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**I.**

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To be completely honest with myself I thought I'd never find Riku or Kairi. While I tired to keep my spirits up, somewhere in the back of my mind always doubted that I'd _actually_ find them. Especially in the Organization XIII's HQ. Well, maybe Riku, but not Kairi. I was kinda hoping Axel had sent her back to Destiny Islands. _Wishful thinking on my part._ When I saw her standing next the impostor Ansem I acted on impulse instead of using my head. Not that I would've actually known who it really was under that hood, but now that I think about it I should've known then. Kairi's no idiot, she certainly wouldn't stand next to the heartless that tried to use her for his own gain.

"Get out of way Kairi!" I brandished the Keyblade ready to strike at a moments notice as soon as Kairi moved away. She didn't move an inch, not even when I told her to. She stepped forward with that look of determination on her face and blocked my path. "Sora wait!" She cried raising a hand. I skidded to a halt, bewilderment clearly showed on my face. As she moved away from the Ansem impostor she reached out and grabbed my free hand. Like I puppet on strings I allowed her to lead me over to the enemy. She moved my hand toward Ansem's and placed it ontop of his. "There's someone you need to see," Kairi's voice was firm, there was something about it that made me wary and excited at once. I continued to glare up at Ansem's brown face, the sullen expression never left his face. "Close your eyes." Kairi's voice filtered through my thoughts and I did as she told me to. I was greeted with the darkness, my brow furrowed as the dark began to lift like a fog and an image began to appear before me.

Once the picture became clear in my head, my knees gave out on me. _Riku! _I couldn't stop the my emotions from overwhelming me as I gazed upon the face of my friend. Riku's thin face was framed by the shaggy locks of hair that had grown longer since the last time I saw him. He wore the same expression as Ansem. Tears ran down my face as I tried to pull myself together; All the strength I had gained throughout the journey had left me, I had actually found Riku! All the hoping and praying actually paid off. Kairi wore a mixture of sorrow and joy on her face as she watched me. My pride chided me for showing so much emotion at once, but I didn't care.

"I searched all over for you! I couldn't find you," I blurted suddenly, sorrow and happiness tingeing my tone. Ansem's face melted away at the words revealing the hardened face of Riku. He looked ashamed to hear the words come out of my mouth, he looked away, his gaze narrow. "I didn't want to be found," Riku answered tersely looking back at me. I glared at him through my tears still running from my eyes. He had some nerve. "C'mon Sora, pull yourself together!" Riku grunted in response pulling me off my knees. I yanked my hand from his grasp and used it to dry my face. "Sora, you have to understand, I belong in the darkness. I don't deserve to return with the two of you," Riku uttered. I shot a look at Kairi who lowered her head in response, I began to wonder if she knew about this all along. I shook my head. Riku may have done things I didn't agree with in past, but he was still my friend. I wouldn't abandon him to the darkness. I was better than that.

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**II.**

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I'm still not quite comfortable with Riku's newfound ability to beat himself up over the things he'd done a year ago. I wanted to tell him there were no hard feelings between us (for me), and that all was forgiven. But I couldn't say I wasn't angry at him for accusing me of not caring about him or Kairi anymore because I had Donald and Goofy at my side. I still considered him a friend, I still cared about Kairi. Joining Donald and Goofy was the only I could hope to find them, eventually they became my friends too. His accusations of betrayal actually made me question our friendship at one point.

When he told me finally that he was just jealous, envious of how I managed to follow my heart, all my worries about our status melted away. We were okay, Riku and I; That was his way of telling me that he still considered us friends. Riku and I had defeated Xenmas and we had already accepted the fate that was given to us. We would wallow in the darkness if it meant the others would be safe in the light. However, I couldn't help but wonder if all our efforts were _worth_ being stuck in this place. Riku sat next to me quiet in his reflection, his hair cascaded over his shoulders covering most of his face. As I watched him through the corner of my eye I wondered what I could say to break the uncomfortable silence between us.

Riku shifted a bit, his eyes opened a little more as he sat up a little straighter. "What is it?" I whispered. Leaning forward I peered into the reflecting waters below me to catch a glimpse of whatever had caught Riku's eye. Pushing up off his bottom Riku placed himself in a crouched position and reached into the water. I watched him lean back and resume his spot next to me. In his hand resided a bottle, inside there was a piece of paper rolled tightly so that it fit through the small hole. Tilting the bottle over Riku caught the paper as it fell through the mouth.

Riku unrolled the paper and began to read, I leaned in a little more to see what it was that he was reading. After a moment he handed the paper over to me. "Here. This is for you," He said shortly, his face never betraying any sort of emotion. Warily, I took the paper from his grasp, it felt old underneath my fingers. The brown spots covering most of the paper was a sure indication of its age. My eyes wandered the paper slowly making out the near blotched out words.

_Thinking of you, wherever you are  
we pray for our sorrows to end  
in hope that our hearts will blend  
now I step forward to realize this wish  
and who knows?_

_Maybe starting a new journey may not be that hard.  
Perhaps it's already begun.  
There are many worlds but they share the same sky  
one Sky, One Destiny_

_"Kairi,"_ I mouthed.

No sooner had the words left my mouth the darkness was illuminated by white light. I raised a hand to shield my eyes from the intensity of the light the stronger it got. As soon as the light died down a bit I realized what it was I was looking at. The door Mickey had told me about. The door to the light. I climbed up from off the ground anxiously, I stepped forward, the thought of finally going home consuming my thoughts. A grunt brought me to a skidding halt, looking to my right I spotted Riku watching me with observant eyes. His eyes had been covered by a blindfold the entire time he was in realm of darkness, he told me he was hiding from himself. At first I wondered at what he meant by "hiding from himself." It didn't make sense to hide from yourself in the darkness of all places. I realize he meant he was trying to mask his own emotions from himself; He couldn't hide from his eyes, they were the one thing that would tell the truth no matter what.

Grinning I extended my hand out to him. Riku shifted in his place regarding my hand cautiously as if were some foreign object. I gave a nod my head and flexed my fingers. "We'll go together," I told him. Riku didn't move right away, he just stared at me. After a minute or so he grasped my hand and I hauled him up from the ground. I moved to drape his arm around my neck, he insisted that he could walk for himself so I backed off. We strode across the water, it went as high as our ankles. I shivered involuntarily at the cold wrapping itself around my skin. I watched Riku shoot me an amused look.

"Scared?" He inquired.

I scoffed at him, mock-bravado echoing in my wake. "Me? Never!" I retorted with a weak wave of my hand. Riku said nothing more but gave me occassional glances. As we were ensnared in the light I wondered if home would really be on the other side. Would Kairi actually be waiting for us at the end of the tunnel? It had been so long since either of us has seen the island, it seemed like another lifetime. A fantastic dream I visited only when I was awake. Even Riku standing beside me felt unreal. Finally being able to go home felt too easy all of a sudden.

So was I scared?

_More than ever._

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(FIN) 


	3. III: The Metaphysics of Home

**III: The Metaphysics of Home**

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**Summary**: Sora's thoughts after returning home to Destiny Islands  
**Rated**: K  
**Created: 9/10/06  
Finished: 10/21/06 (After Long Hiatus)**

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**I. Sorrow Ended**

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Sora couldn't believe it. As his head resurfaced from the ocean waters alongside Riku his heart thudded in his chest. The taste of salt in his mouth as he sputtered and fought to keep buoyancy, the smell of the cool fall air in the afternoon, and the orange atmosphere of the sky. His eyes darted wildly in every direction as he shook the water out of his air. He was home!

For a moment he stopped moving in the water to laugh when the memory of where he currently resided chided him, he was barely back under for a second as his legs and arms restarted their kicking. Sora squirted another mouthful of water out of his mouth as he dared to lock gazes with Riku. His silver haired friend wore the exact same expression, if not just a tad bit more guarded. He wondered if Riku still felt the same about deserving to be left in the darkness? Well, that didn't matter, Riku was here and he was gonna have to readjust to living in the light.

_Hey, come to think of it, so do I!_ Sora thought bewildered. Whether or not it was premature to think there would never be another threat to the worlds was hardly Sora's concern. The fleeting hope and wariness of his travels through the universe would have to be repaired and forgotten; His mind told him to be on guard, but in his heart Sora truly knew they were safe and would be safe for while.

"Sora! Riku!"

Sora felt his heart skip a beat as his head whipped toward the shore line, he felt lightheaded for a but a moment when his eyes fell upon a lanky figure waving to them. Refocusing his vision he now recognized the head of red hair and the pink ensemble, completely different to what he remembered her wearing just a year ago. A time he could barely remember after waking from a nap he was unaware of even taking! Figure that! Kairi waved more excitedly now calling out to them again. "C'mon!" Sora barely looked to Riku as he began to swim for shore, he could hear his older companion coming up behind him at a slower pace. Riku still ached from their ordeal with Xenmas. Sora pushed himself up out of the water the moment his feet touched the shelf line of the shore, he clothing weighted him down considerably as he marched through the muddy sand toward Kairi who wore the same elated expression, she stepped a little closer to the shore which only hastened Sora's attempt to get to dry land.

Kairi looked so different, he looked different. _Sorta_. He was taller, yes, but overall the same, unlike his friends. He hoped nothing had changed too much between him and Kairi Their reunion in Organization XIII's HQ was brief at best and they were so caught up in the situation that he hardly could even think about stopping to get reacquainted with his friends. However, the one noticeable thing about Kairi was, that she had a stronger sense of determination. When they were younger, Kairi was mildly hesitant about doing things even though she was more outgoing than Sora was. (_Way more outgoing.)_ But whatever hesitance he had originally felt in her was gone. Confidence took its place, as it should.

Just as he arrived to the shallower part of the shore three familiar figures flew out from behind Kairi, his smile grew wider at the sight of Donald and Goofy. He couldn't make out the garbled sentences that came out of their mouths at the exact same time, he simply braced himself for a fall as the two leapt upon him and knocked him back into the water. A laugh full of relief escaped Sora's mouth, easing the tightness he felt in his chest. He pushed himself up so that he was sitting on his legs, he fought to keep the surprise from reaching his face as Donald hugged him. The two were friends, Donald even allowed a hug or two every now and then, but he had ever been this affectionate toward him! However, Sora couldn't say he didn't like it. An overly happy Donald Duck was better than a grouchy one. His friends released him from their vice-like grip and gave Sora some room to breathe, in the corner of his eye he spotted RIku and Mickey facing each other, in deep conversation. He let out another shuddering laugh before focusing on Kairi again. Her face seemed unreal in the glow of the setting sun, dreamy like.

Sora laughed unconsciously at his own thoughts before reaching into the red pouch rest on his left pant leg. "W-w're back," He stuttered out, cracking another breathless smile. Extending his hand out to her he revealed the gift she gave him when they resided in Traverse Town. Kairi's smile grew wider at the sight of her lucky charm, leaning over she extended her hand to further welcome her wary traveler. Sora felt his heart quicken again. "You're home," She answered in an assured voice. Sora released a shuddering breath as his mouth opened and his teeth showed through his smile With all the strength he could muster, his clasped hers and Kairi gripped his with equal strength.

_We're home . . ._

* * *

**II. Nothing In My Way**

* * *

Sora felt a strange stir of loneliness as he ventured down the streets of Destiny Islands small town. As a child he had the impression that it was biggest place in the world and that it would take forever to explore all the nooks and crannies. His mother indulged his thoughts with enthusiastic responses that would only strengthen his vivid imagination. Now, however, the town looked _so small_. Kairi and RIku trailed behind him, speaking to each other with such relaxed tones it was hard believe the ordeal they each went through was even real.

Many people that recognized him (or Riku) watched them like they were newfound discoveries or expressions that usually meant 'where have you been?' Sora had no answer for them he wanted to give, unlike his former self he wasn't so eager to divulge in his adventures through the manys worlds he traveled. He spotted Tidus and Wakka just across the street sitting on Wakka's doorstep. Tidus waved excitedly to him, Wakka gave a stiff nod of his head. "Hey guys!" Sora called back with a wave of his own.

Tidus stood up from where he stood and shouted, "Sora, where've you been?!"

Sora grinned and answered, "I'll tell you about it later!" The two nodded in response then returned to their conversation. _I wonder where Selphie is. . .?_ Sora quickened his pace a little. He moved around the corner to a more vacant area of town. Ahead of him resided several houses that were hard to tell apart from the other. Riku and Kairi didn't seem to be following him anymore, he put on a grin as he rushed up the path between the two trees and foliage that grew against the two larger houses on the block. He flew across the backyard of a neighbor which looked considerably smaller than he remembered, he gave a yelp when the bark of the dog (once a puppy) came flying out from a bush. Mrs. Shimomura's dog still held a grudge against him it seemed. Sora leapt over the fence in his way leaving the barking dog behind, he hopped over another fence straight into another yard. His backyard. Sora brushed himself off as he looked up at his window, now closed and concealed by his curtains decorated with ships and stars.

He stepped carefully past the garden blooming with sunflowers, with other assortments of floral plants, up to the faded hardwood door. Bending over he peered underneath the bottom of a flower pot, the key lay there undisturbed. Grabbing it up off the ground he examined it fondly; It reminded him of the Kingdom Key, a weapon, it seemed, that disconnected itself from him. He could no longer summon it to his hands to his dismay. Pushing aside these thoughts he slid the key into hole and turned, the door opened without a sound. Poking a head inside he recognized the kitchen, he stepped further inside, a whistful smile on his lips. Locking the door behind him he ventured into the living room, his heart sank at the dim appearance of the living room, the curtains closed blocking out the light. It was probably nothing to worry about, the sun was setting after all. He headed through the living room and up the stairs, down corridor he spotted the open door at the end of the hall. He wasted no time to get to the door, though the concept someone else living in his house did hinder his step a bit. What if he was gone for too long and she moved out? Opening the door he stood relatively still as a figure came into view. A smile broke out on his face as he watched the woman turn the page of an old book whilst adjusting her position on the window seat.

The door gave a creek causing the woman to turn her attention to the open door, her face paled considerably at the sight of him. Like a specter or ghost, he stood in the door way beckoning her to his side. It seemed unreal. Sora gave a start himself at the sight of the woman dressed in a simple skirt and shirt, her messy brown hair pulled back into an unkempt braid. She appeared older herself, her skin looked less perfect, her hands were thinner and her face looked worry-worn, the laugh lines around her face were more apparent. He swallowed back the innate fear that he could be rejected when a smile broke out on the woman's face. She rose from the window seat moving slowly across the floor, Sora felt werid in her presence but remained where he was. The woman stopped next to the bed her fingers trembling against her side and the edge of bed. ". . . I remember you . . .," She whispered. All the apprehension melted from Sora's body as his mouth dropped open. "You forgot about me too?" He proclaimed anxiously.

The woman was stunned where she stood then regained her composure, her head shook quickly. "No! I mean -- yes I forgot about you, but it wasn't by choice. It was like -- something you remember then forget instantly and can't recall -- _it,"_ She answered truthfully. "Then I just remembered one day! You returned to me." Sora watched the woman's equally anxious demeanor with interest knowing she was telling the truth. She had to be; Leon and the others said the same, they forgot and remembered him as if he were never forgotten. Sora rested his arms behind his head and bent his leg so that the tip of his shoe was facing the floor. "Well, if that's the case ---" Sora bounded away from the doorway and wrapped his arms around the woman's neck. The woman felt herself breaking down as her arms eventually came to wrap themselves around upper body under his arms.

The two remained like that for the longest time, Sora could feel the woman trembling against him, the all too familiar whimpering associated with crying echoed in his ears. He moved over to the bed as quickly as he could, feeling the woman's knees against his legs and sat down. The woman let out a shuddering laugh then broke down completely, releasing a choked sob. As her body was wracked with tremors of her sobs, Sora could not help but feel awkward being so close to her now. He drew distant from her at the mere age of fourteen, replaced her bond with Kairi and Riku, and rarely paid attention to the lonely woman when he was home. Now that he was back, he had a chance to make things right by their faded relationship.

He would do right by his mother because his father wasn't here to do it.

Sora was all she had left.

"Y-your back . . . your really back . . .," She sobbed quietly.

Sora patted his mother softly on the back as he listened to her sob.

"No. I'm home," He murmured.

_You're home . . . ._

* * *

(FIN)

* * *


End file.
